Ideas to Celebrate Volunteers

Below is a list of ideas, both big and small, to celebrate and show appreciation to your volunteers.

• Have treats in the office all week, make sure to have a variety and include healthy options.  Have a weeklong buffet for all meals during the week so all volunteers can participate and feel recognized.
• Set-up a sundae bar, hire food trucks, host a cocktail (or mocktail) hour. Make it fun!
• If you still buy pins for volunteers, consider switching to “Volunteering since   ____ (insert the year here) You only need to buy them one pin ever! 
• Create fun, innovative awards not related to hours that are in keeping with the values of your organization 
• If you hold a big event with awards, ask a senior leader to walk the award to the volunteer instead of volunteers coming to the stage.  Volunteers love being “presented” their award right at their seat and having the photographer take their picture with Sr Leaders
• Ask your CEO to write a thank-you message and email it to all volunteers at the beginning of recognition week and ask them to sign cards for volunteers that are being recognized for service.
• Plan social media posts to promote special programs and shout out to recognize outstanding volunteers.  Invite supervisors to comment and add their thanks or stories of how volunteers make a difference. Encourage volunteers to post about why they love volunteering.
• Send out a newsletter at the beginning of Volunteer Week with articles written by staff/supervisors sharing their appreciation for volunteers and/or a newsletter at the end of Volunteer Week summarizing the awards, pictures, and highlights from the volunteers.  Volunteers who say they don’t want their picture taken are often the first to look for them!
• Create a collage of HOPE: a big picture of the word of HOPE filled in with pictures of volunteer.
• Make a Wall of Fame for your volunteers, full of pictures of volunteers in action and statements from staff describing their impact.
• Work with Marketing to create and implement screen savers promoting pictures or stats of volunteers during Volunteer Week
• Send thank you cards signed by Volunteer Services staff and provide blank thank-you cards to volunteer supervisors for their team to sign and give to the volunteers.
• Send reminders to leaders at your organization at least one month in advance (and again weekly) with appreciation suggestions.
• For hospitals with a “News” section on the website (or blog) write and post an article on how volunteers have impacted the organization over the year.
• Ask departments to donate door prizes for your Volunteer Appreciation event. At the event, be sure to announce how departments contributed.
• Provide gift boxes for volunteers that contain a variety of local products (local coffee, hot sauce, pickles, candy, etc.)
• Have your CEO to record a video and send it to the volunteers.  Play the recording in the Volunteer Services office during Volunteer Week.